


Starblasting to a New Life

by jseca



Series: Time and Death are Abstract in the Abyss [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Taako muses on his new found family, mild spoilers for the stolen century arc, pre-stolen century, taagnus and blupjeans if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 07:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11352639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jseca/pseuds/jseca
Summary: "When it really comes down to it, he thinks, the best thing his home planet has given him (aside from his twin sister, but really, Lup goes without saying, always) is the chance to get off it."Taako ruminates on just how he got here, and who he's here with, and how his life has been irrefutably changed for the better.





	Starblasting to a New Life

It’s all kinds of surreal, the first time the Starblaster is unveiled to Taako and the rest of its soon-to-be crewmembers.  He knows that he’ll be blasting off into the abyss soon enough, and he’s been, though he’d never admit to it, training his ass off for this, helped along by Lup’s unfaltering motivation and enthusiasm and the hard work of the rest of the team.  He’s been focused entirely on preparing for this for months now, is his point, but to finally see the literal spaceship floating in midair, the silent white ring of bond-creating light perpetually hovering in place around the deck, the blown up IPRE logo surrounded by the kaleidoscopic symbols of the twelve planes of existence painted to the side of the ship, makes it all suddenly very real.

“Oh _shit,”_ Magnus is the first to react as the tarp slides away, of course, taking an awed step forward, eyes wide with child-like wonder.

“That’s bad _ass_ ,” Lup chimes in from next to Taako, arms folded in appreciation as she rakes her gaze up and down the Starblaster.

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Cap’n’Port,” Magnus grins, looking down at who must be the proudest gnome in existence right now, Taako reckons.  “And you too, Bluejeans.”  There’s murmurings of agreement throughout the group, emphasised by Lup clapping a hand down on his shoulder, smiling widely.

“Didn’t know you had it in ya, you little nerd, you.  This is fucking _awesome._ ”

Barry goes noticeably red at the praise, rubbing an awkward hand at the back of his neck.  “Thanks, guys.  It’s kinda been a ‘down to the minute’ thing, getting the Starblaster up and ready.  Scientifically, she’s.. very complicated.”

“We all know how much hard work you’ve been putting into making her the best she can be,” Lucretia chimes in quietly, looking up from the latest entry in her notebook, no doubt scribbling down her own and her team’s reactions to seeing their new home for real and to scale for the first time.

“And quality takes time, my man,” Taako adds.  “Looks like we’re right on target to set off from this trash planet next week though, huh?” 

“Can’t come soon enough!” Lup agrees, settling a casual arm round her brother’s shoulder in ‘trash planets and the need to get off of them’ solidarity.  Their combined nihilism gets a muted laugh from their crewmembers, and although Taako isn’t 100% serious, he’s definitely not entirely joking around, either.  When it really comes down to it, he thinks, the best thing his home planet has given him (aside from his twin sister, but really, Lup goes without saying, always) is the chance to get off it.

He’s interrupted from this surprisingly dour train of thought by Merle detaching himself from the group, thoughtful expression furrowing his brow as he takes a few steps towards the Starblaster.  He briefly turns back toward Davenport as he says, “May I?”

“Oh, of course,” Davenport nods, holding out a hand in acquiescence.  They all watch quietly as Merle approaches the side of the Starblaster, raising a hand almost reverently in what seems to be a very literal ‘bless this ship’ gesture.  He closes his eyes, and just for a moment, his hand almost imperceptibly begins to glow as he channels divinity in a prayer.  It’s all silent in the hanger for a brief second, and then, satisfied, Merle lowers his hand and brings out a bottle of champagne from within his IPRE-issued red jacket, and grins widely.

“What say you all to a celebration, huh?” he calls over, and without further ado, goes to swing the bottle at the side of the ship with an enthusiasm as ofa thousand sacred flames.

“Mer - you’re supposed to wait until we’re about to lea –,” Davenport tries frantically, and also futilely; the bottle connects, smashing open and sending champagne and glass flying over the side of the ship to scatter down to the ground. 

Never one to let a good party kick off without him, Taako doesn’t hesitate to cast a perfectly timed prestidigitated wave of fireworks to coincide with Merle’s ‘blessing’.  They soar upwards and explode in a burst of shimmering golds and silvers and blues and reds above the Starblaster, just shy of the hanger’s thankfully tall ceiling. Davenport sighs, but he can’t help but smile. It _is_ pretty goddamn awesome.  The ship, the fireworks, their mission.  All of it.

“ ** _Yeah!”_ **  Lup punches a fist up in the air, whooping in exhilaration.  “That’s what I’m talking about!  Fuck yeah, we’re going to space!” At that, she _also_ brings out a bottle of champagne that she’d had squirreled away in her robe, and beelines towards the Starblaster, to Merle’s evident utter delight.

As the party erupts into whoops and cheers, following Lup over to where Merle’s standing with his smashed glass, Taako hangs back for a moment, a small smiling gracing his features as he watches his crewmates get their party on.  It’s funny to think that, less than a year ago, he had no idea who 70% of these people were, and now -- well.

Just look at them now.

\- - - -

 _“Holy shit, Taako, **look**_ ,” _Lup had cried out happily as she unfurled the scroll the two of them had been waiting for with baited breath for what had felt like weeks.  “Oh my god.  Is this real?  It’s real, right?  Pinch me.  No, wait, don’t, I’d have to punch you – just –,”_

_“Oh, hell yeah,” Taako had murmured, wholly understated but containing all the gravitas needed as he stared down at the words written in print in front of him. “ **Hell** yeah.  It’s real, Lu.”  The brightly coloured IPRE logo stamped onto the top of the page caught the eye first, followed by their names, followed by ‘ **have been accepted into the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration as members of our newest planar exploration mission…’**_

_As breathtakingly satisfying as it was to get this letter, to have proof that they’d pushed ahead and proved themselves in some of the most gruelling tests they’ve ever had to endure, the most important thing, by far, was how it really did contain **both** their names.  They’d done it.  They’d beaten hundreds of other candidates through their sheer force of will and their combined, frankly epic (if Taako does say so himself) arcanic skills to the end goal; to the chance of starting a new life afresh.  And they’d done it together._

_“It’s real.”_

_\- - - -_

_“Welcome, everyone, to the Institution of Planar Research and Exploration.  The six of you charged ahead of our hundreds of applicants to secure your positions as crewmembers for our new mission: to breach the planar system and find out what lies beyond.  You were all chosen based on your loyalty, commitment, skill level, level-headedness, and much more, besides.  You should all be very proud of yourselves for what you’ve managed to achieve.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, only open to the best minds in Faerun.”  The gnome addressing the lined-up group of recruits pauses to smile up at them all._

_“As I’m sure you’re aware, my name is Davenport, and I’ll be your Captain for this mission.  I have dedicated my life to the goals we’re setting with this new expedition, and I’ll be expecting the same level of enthusiasm and loyalty from the rest of you, as well.  I’ll be heading your training and making sure you’re prepared to set off for the stars come this time next year.  It won’t be easy, by any measure, but you’ve proven that you’re certainly up to the challenge, and I expect nothing but great things from you all.  It’s an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintances.”_

_He pauses once more as he turns to a closed chest behind him._

_“Now, the first port of call.. your uniforms.”_

_\- - - -_

_“Hey, I remember you guys!” A large, burly man with a smile like the sun and the most impressive sideburns Taako’s ever seen waves over to him and Lup post-Davenport’s introductory speech, and Taako has maybe a flash of recognition?  It’s difficult to say.  He never really took stock of his fellow IPRE applicants, so caught up in making sure he was at peak performance that he ended up with metaphorical tunnel vision.  Even, apparently, for a guy as manly and ripped as this tall glass of water.  Taako’s kind of disappointed in himself._

_“Oh, hey!  Magnus, right?” Lup grins, showing Taako up and surprising absolutely nobody.  She’s so much better at the whole ‘creating bonds’ thing.  She holds out her hand as Magnus approaches them._

_“You got it!  You’re.. Tay… Ta…” he hesitates, and Lup grins, jabbing a thumb over at Taako._

_“ **He’s** Taako.  I’m Lup, the best goddamn arcanist the universe has ever seen.”  She grins. “He comes second.”_

_“Right, yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Lulu,” Taako grins, totally ignoring the roll of her eyes at the nickname he **knows** she despises as he focuses on holding his hand delicately out to Magnus.  “Taako, in the house,” he quips, and against all odds, Magnus smiles as he takes the proffered hand to shake._

_It’s really, really goddamn warm when he grasps it._

_\- - - -_

_Merle Highchurch is definitely not your standard cleric, Taako thinks.  He jumps between calm and collected man of the cloth, praying to his deity (deities?  Taako’s not sure) and acting like the group’s father figure, (which Taako is all sorts of confused about emotionally) to a pretty hardcore partier when it’s called for.  He’s into it._

_“You’ve got some pretty baller moves, my man,” Taako says as he approaches him at the celebratory ‘welcome to the IPRE’ party later on that night, during one of his beverage breaks.  A man’s got to get his drink on when he’s going as hard as Merle Highchurch is._

_“Well thanks, Taako!” Merle smiles warmly at the compliment.  “Nothing like a good session on the dancefloor to let all the days worries and tensions go, I say.”_

_“Hey, I believe it.  I’m good over here, but you do you.”_

_“You should try it!  Get those endorphins flowing.”_

_“Ew.”_

_“It’s good for you!  Look, your sister’s got the hang of it,” Merle points out, motioning with his glass towards Lup, who’s absolutely killing it on the dancefloor, because of **course.** “I’m gonna head on back.  Come join us, if you feel like it!”_

_\- - - -_

_Of all the crew, Lucretia is the hardest for Taako to get a tab on, at first.  She’s just so quiet, constantly standing back to observe and to write.  She’s never, ever without her notebooks.  It feels kind of cool, actually, to be documented so hard, in the sense that maybe she’ll publish it all one day, and Taako’ll become a famous character in a book as well as a famous astronaut and all round awesome guy.  People are gonna love him.  He’ll be the flagship character – Taako, from TV.  Or, like, from a book._

_… But anyway, it’ll all be down to Lucretia and her writing prowess, Taako thinks, getting that line of thought back on track.  One way or another, he can just tell, her stacks of notebooks and her endless writings are going to go down in history.  It’s her quiet, fierce determination; an aura that she’ll never let burn out.  It’s all kinds of humbling._

_\- - - -_

_Barry Bluejeans – Taako still can’t believe that’s actually his goddamn name, it haunts him at night, like – has he had it legally changed?  Is that his birthname?  Did his parents actually name him goddamn **Barry Bluejeans?** If it’s his birthname, why does he stick so rigidly to the blue jeans aesthetic!?  Surely that would point to him changing his own name to honour the denim he wraps around his legs every damn day.  _

_Did  - did he name himself after his fucking fetish?_

_He’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in raw. Goddamn. Denim. But damn, if he isn’t an amazing scientist._

_A huge nerd.  Huge.  But an amazing scientist._

_(Taako resists teasing Lup every time he catches her staring at him.)_

\- - - -

“Hey, T-Bone, get your ass over here!” Lup calls out, bringing Taako out of his reverie and back to the present, where his new-found family are gathered by the side of what’s set to be their new home, the Starblaster, drinking champagne and staring up at the new set of fireworks that Lup’s taken upon herself to cast during Taako’s downtime.  He grins, making his way over to Lup, who throws a jubilant arm around his shoulders and squeezes him to her side.  Her other arm is thrown around Barry, who loops his around Davenport, who puts an arm around Lucretia’s waist.  Taako smiles, continuing the chain around his side by pulling Magnus in, and Merle completes the circle.  It’s cheesy as all hell, but whatever, they absolutely deserve this moment of happiness – this celebration of everything that’s brought them all together, to this moment.

They’re going to be amazing.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before episode 66 got released today, and then I listened to episode 66 and I suddenly had to finish this no matter what. I can't stress.. how much I love these characters... like. So, so much.


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